Pat Kenny and Colette Fitzpatrick to front a brand new current affairs as part of TV3's new look schedule

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Pat Kenny and Colette Fitzpatrick to front a brand new current affairs as part of TV3's new look schedule

TV3 today unveiled its new season of programming for Autumn 2016 at a launch event in the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

As part of TV3’s ambitious growth plans, the new-look schedule is a mix of familiar names, newly signed talent and brand new Irish versions of some major international formats.

Amongst the many announcements, it was confirmed that Newstalk’s Pat Kenny will bring his unique and authoritative style of journalism to the station this autumn, anchoring a new landmark current affairs programme on Wednesday nights, alongside TV3’s Colette Fitzpatrick. The show will provide in-depth analysis on national and international issues and will feature live interviews with the big newsmakers of the day in front of a studio audience.

Comedian and actress Deirdre O’Kane and Mrs Brown’s Boys star Rory Cowan will be the narrators behind Gogglebox when it airs on TV3 later this month. The show promises an eclectic mix of characters that audiences will both love and love to hate,

Originated drama and documentaries continue to be a major focus for TV3 with six new productions premiering on TV3 this Autumn. They include Mammal, Emily, Cardboard Gangsters, A Date for Mad Mary, It’s Not Yet Dark and Fourth Act.

TV3’s hit drama Red Rock has been given a new home on Monday nights. The award winning drama will now air once a week in a later primetime hour-long slot at 9.30pm. Red Rock returns on Monday 12th September with an explosive episode which answers the question viewers were left asking at the end of the last season…Who killed Brian?

‘Living With Lucy’ is back as TV3's Lucy Kennedy heads off to share space, life and conversation with a host of well-known celebrities in their own homes. Lucy will “live with” Republic of Ireland footballer Shane Long, singer Kerry Katona and comedian Al Porter.

TV3 also confirmed Robin Gill and Daniel Clifford as the new judges on the hit format Celebrity Masterchef. Dubliner Robin is head chef and director of The Dairy restaurant in London, which has been described as “the cream of the crop” by the London Metro. Daniel hails from Kent and is best known for his work at the two Michelin star restaurant Midsummer House. He was also named one of the winners of the 2012 and 2013 series of the BBC television show the Great British Menu.

David McWilliams returns to TV3 on Sunday afternoons with business show ‘Agenda’. The programme will feature high profile international guests, make economics understandable and relevant to its audience and offer fresh insight and analysis from its presenter David McWilliams every Sunday.

From Monday 5th September Vincent Browne returns to our screens with his unique nightly take on affairs of the nation in ‘Tonight with Vincent Browne’, now at the earlier time of 10.30pm.

Paul Williams presents ‘Paul Williams: The War on Crime’. Twenty years on from the murders of Veronica Guerin and Detective Garda Gerry McCabe, Ireland’s leading crime journalist goes on a personal journey comparing the horrific events of 1996 with 2016, to understand if we are winning or losing the war on crime.

In ‘Donal MacIntyre: Unsolved’, Donal brings together an unrivalled team of specialists to investigate some of Ireland’s most infamous missing persons cases. Working with the original investigating team, they re-examine the evidence, looking to bring some fresh information to light on some of our nation's most shocking and impenetrable crimes. Infamous cold cases that feature include the disappearance of Amy Fitzpatrick, Annie McCarrick and Trevor Deeley.

Consumer champion Conor Pope fronts a brand new six-part investigative consumer format. In ‘Conor Pope’s Dodgy Dealers’, Conor will use all of his expertise and experience to confront companies who are misleading, mistreating and defrauding their customers, in an effort to bring positive closure to distressing consumer ordeals.

TV3’s home-grown daytime and early evening shows, ‘Ireland AM’, ‘Midday’, ‘The Seven O’Clock Show’, ‘Saturday AM’ and ‘Sunday AM’ will continue to be the backbone of the TV3 schedule with ‘Xposé’ returning this autumn in a newly formatted thirty-minute slot.

At the weekend TV3 continues to be the home of some of the biggest and best entertainment shows. ‘X Factor’ is already back on our screens with Louis Walsh re-joining the judging panel alongside Simon Cowell, Sharon Osborne and Nicole Scherzinger. ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and ‘Big Brother’ will also be big exclusive entertainment shows to TV3 into 2017.

On the sporting front, Tuesday night’s biggest UEFA Champions League games will be live on TV3 this Autumn with three-time European Cup winner Graeme Souness heading up TV3’s team of experts alongside Kevin Kilbane, Keith Andrews and Brian Kerr. Tommy Martin will present the coverage from the Virgin Media TV3 HD Studio kicking off with Barcelona V Celtic on Tuesday 13th September.

Speaking at today’s launch, TV3 Group Managing Director, Pat Kiely, said:“This is easily TV3’s most confident and ambitious new season launch schedule in our 18 year history. As the channel comes of age, I am thrilled to launch a new look schedule which is packed with big shows and big names.

“We are taking the great content that helped us grow our audience through the years and supplementing it with exciting new originated production and Irish versions of some blockbuster international formats. Through investment in top class talent and cutting edge studio infrastructure, we will make more primetime shows than ever before.

“Our new plans reflect what our viewers want with longer running series and popular shows in consistent slots. Red Rock has found its natural new home in late peak on Mondays and we know this will make it even more accessible to fans new and old. In Gogglebox and Masterchef we have two of the best international formats which will be full of Irish characters.

“This new schedule also sees a major step up in our current affairs output. Pat Kenny is one of the best current affairs broadcasters in these islands. I am also delighted to welcome David McWilliams who is bringing back a big hit from our early days.

“The TV3 Group plan is to match the growing confidence in the Irish economy with our ambition and we believe we can really help stimulate the audio visual sector, create more jobs and develop an export content pipeline.”